Chapter 14. The South Pole

           Irushedontotheplatform.Yes!theopensea,withbutafewscatteredpiecesoficeandmovingicebergs—alongstretchofsea;aworldofbirdsintheair,andmyriadsoffishesunderthosewaters,whichvariedfromintensebluetoolivegreen,accordingtothebottom.Thethermometermarked3°C.abovezero.Itwascomparativelyspring,shutupaswewerebehindthisiceberg,whoselengthenedmasswasdimlyseenonournorthernhorizon.

           "Areweatthepole?"IaskedtheCaptain,withabeatingheart.

           "Idonotknow,"hereplied."AtnoonIwilltakeourbearings."

           "Butwillthesunshowhimselfthroughthisfog?"saidI,lookingattheleadensky.

           "Howeverlittleitshows,itwillbeenough,"repliedtheCaptain.

           Abouttenmilessouthasolitaryislandrosetoaheightofonehundredandfouryards.Wemadeforit,butcarefully,fortheseamightbestrewnwithbanks.Onehourafterwardswehadreachedit,twohourslaterwehadmadetheroundofit.Itmeasuredfourorfivemilesincircumference.Anarrowcanalseparateditfromaconsiderablestretchofland,perhapsacontinent,forwecouldnotseeitslimits.TheexistenceofthislandseemedtogivesomecolourtoMaury’stheory.TheingeniousAmericanhasremarkedthat,betweentheSouthPoleandthesixtiethparallel,theseaiscoveredwithfloatingiceofenormoussize,whichisnevermetwithintheNorthAtlantic.FromthisfacthehasdrawntheconclusionthattheAntarcticCircleenclosesconsiderablecontinents,asicebergscannotforminopensea,butonlyonthecoasts.